Can this Dell be hacked to run OSX?

[Wags]

OK, this is all very interesting, but you're starting to lose me with the specs. I'm looking for a media center machine to do these things:

Record OFA HD content without a monthly fee (understand this will require additional hardware, such as Eye TV)

Stream TV off the web through Hulu or the network sites through my wireless network

Play DVD's, (Blu-ray)

I don't care much about software or high performance chip sets as long as its capable enough to those things. I really only want it for video since I have a separate system for music in another room and other computers for everything else.

I'm already using my Macbook to stream Hulu into my HD TV and it works quite acceptably, but I don't want to leave it tethered to my TV all the time because I use it for other things. I've been looking at getting a dedicated Mac Mini to do the same thing but here's where I think Apple is lagging behind: no Blu-ray player, no HDMI outputs, no surround sound outputs. How hard would that be? I already said I'm willing to pay the Mac tax, heck I've never even bought a Windows PC, but I'm actually considering it for the first time because as it is, Apple gives me no options.

[Filliam H. Muffman]

The Dell Hybrid Studio is $500, a slot loading Blu-ray drive adds $200. http://www.dell.com/content/products/pro...ybrid?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=mn There should be 15% coupons that you can use on it about once every six weeks. I have never seen any in the Dell Outlet store like with the Dell Mini 9 netbook.

If someone ever started shipping the announced dual ATSC tuner for the PS3, that would have everything you want for about $460.

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Wags wrote:
I'm looking for a media center machine to do these things:

Record OFA HD content without a monthly fee (understand this will require additional hardware, such as Eye TV)

Stream TV off the web through Hulu or the network sites through my wireless network

Play DVD's, (Blu-ray)

I've been looking at getting a dedicated Mac Mini to do the same thing but here's where I think Apple is lagging behind: no Blu-ray player, no HDMI outputs, no surround sound outputs. How hard would that be?...Apple gives me no options.

Apple does give you a very good option: Apple TV--$229.

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/sh...y/apple_tv

Apple TV includes 802.11n wireless and provides HD video (720p24) HDMI output with HDCP compatibility and full, discrete multi-channel audio output via optical audio ports. Apple TV is super-compact, totally silent, and energy efficient. It provides lots of functionality easily accessed via a slick dedicated interface. There are plug-ins and add-ons (e..g Boxee) to provide access to services like Hulu.

EyeTV software integrates nicely with iTunes/Apple TV.

You'll need to provide an optical disc player separately although once you start using Apple TV and associated services, I suspect such a player will soon suffer from underuse.

I already said I'm willing to pay the Mac tax

Obviously, going the Mac way would save you money compared to going to the dark side.

[Wags]

How do you get Apple TV to record OFA HD shows, like TIVO? With Eye TV? Last time I checked it out it seemed like it was mostly locked in to buying content from iTunes.

[guitarist]

Wags wrote:
How do you get Apple TV to record OFA HD shows, like TIVO? With Eye TV? Last time I checked it out it seemed like it was mostly locked in to buying content from iTunes.

Excuse me? LOCKED Into buying content...? i have hundreds of feature movies and TV shows on my Apple TV, never spent a dime at the iTunes store. Where's this LOCK that prevents the user from adding their own content?

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Wags wrote:
How do you get Apple TV to record OFA HD shows, like TIVO? With Eye TV?

Exactly:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/...a6518.html
http://www.deafmac.org/blog/?p=194
http://www.elgato.com/elgato/int/mainmen...2c.en.html

Last time I checked it out it seemed like it was mostly locked in to buying content from iTunes.

I'm not sure how you got such an impression. Apple TV has never been that way. It's a very flexible, rewarding device:

http://www.apple.com/appletv/

http://forums.macresource.com/read.php?1...msg-662235
http://forums.macresource.com/read.php?1...msg-502955
http://forums.macresource.com/read.php?1...msg-542922
http://forums.macresource.com/read.php?1...msg-549289
http://forums.macresource.com/read.php?1...msg-550775
http://forums.macresource.com/read.php?1...msg-558586
http://forums.macresource.com/read.php?1...msg-596374

[AllGold]

Maybe I really missed something but I don't think you can get AppleTV to record--with EyeTV or otherwise. You need a computer for that, right?

As much as I love Macs, when it comes to OTA recording, PCs are ahead of the game. You can buy a Media Center PC which is an integrated solution, software as well as hardware that includes one or more TV tuners. And Wags, you're right, you don't have to pay a monthly fee for TV programming information.

Take a look at HP. They make some nice Media Center PCs--better Media Center solutions that Dell in my opinion. Unfortunately, it's Windows so you have to be sure to keep anti-virus software up to date.

Oh, and as to the original question, I don't know if you can hack them to run OS X, but if you do then you lose the media center software.

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AllGold wrote:
Maybe I really missed something but I don't think you can get AppleTV to record--with EyeTV or otherwise. You need a computer for that, right?...when it comes to OTA recording, PCs are ahead of the game. You can buy a Media Center PC

Right--you can have a Windows PC in your TV room, or you can have a silent and compact Apple TV.

If you choose the latter, the computer that does the OTA recording can be located anywhere in your house. I like that choice better. So does my wife.

Also, an HP Media Center PC costs a lot more than an Apple TV + EyeTV.

[AllGold]

It doesn't cost more if you catch a sale.